The poem personifies secrets and the poet speaks as if he were a secret himself. He says, “Lefatshe petsoga ke tsene” meaning; earth swallow me so I can be safely tucked away. He uses various Setswana metaphors to speak to this topic.

Lefatshe petsoga ke tsene

Mogalammakapa! Ka magalapa ke kue

Lebitla atlhama ke wele

Fatshe le robale ke didimale.

Wa me a motshwana ke o roke

Gonne phafana o fetogile mogodungwane

(Nkwe) Tiolodi ya magaga a latlhile mebala

Mebala ya kgakakgolo (yona) ka itlho ra ila

Re ila ra ntswa a ila katse

Motho a ila noga

Gaetsho phupu a eteletse moletlo pele

Gore morago phupu a etele moletlo

Re sale le sa masetlapelo pelong

Pelo mpepe maoto ntsamaise matshidiso

A botedu putswa ga letlhokwa re arolelane

Ka re lefatshe petsoga ke tsene

Mogalammakapa! Ka magalapa ke kue

Kuwana ka tlhomamo tlhogong ke e role/tlhobole

Gonne di wele magoletsa Batswana

Bakaulengwe ka mamekwane

Ga mamena ba menetsana

Ba metsana jaaka bodimo

Ka re lefatshe petsoga ke tsene

Mogalammakapa! Ka magalapa ke kue

Lebitla atlhama ke wele

Fatshe le robale ke didimale

Di wele magoletsa Batswana

Translation

The poem personifies secrets and the poet speaks as if he were a secret himself. He says, “Lefatshe petsoga ke tsene” meaning; earth swallow me so I can be safely tucked away. He uses various Setswana metaphors to speak to this topic.

Comments

Biography

Sello Daniel Maputle is a poet based in Thaba Nchu in the Free State. He started writing poetry in 2003 when he joined a writing group called Untitled Poets in his hometown. The highlight of his career is when he performed at the Macufe Wordfest.

Sello Daniel Maputle

Biography

Sello Daniel Maputle is a poet based in Thaba Nchu in the Free State. He started writing poetry in 2003 when he joined a writing group called Untitled Poets in his hometown. The highlight of his career is when he performed at the Macufe Wordfest.

The poem personifies secrets and the poet speaks as if he were a secret himself. He says, “Lefatshe petsoga ke tsene” meaning; earth swallow me so I can be safely tucked away. He uses various Setswana metaphors to speak to this topic.

Lefatshe petsoga ke tsene

Mogalammakapa! Ka magalapa ke kue

Lebitla atlhama ke wele

Fatshe le robale ke didimale.

Wa me a motshwana ke o roke

Gonne phafana o fetogile mogodungwane

(Nkwe) Tiolodi ya magaga a latlhile mebala

Mebala ya kgakakgolo (yona) ka itlho ra ila

Re ila ra ntswa a ila katse

Motho a ila noga

Gaetsho phupu a eteletse moletlo pele

Gore morago phupu a etele moletlo

Re sale le sa masetlapelo pelong

Pelo mpepe maoto ntsamaise matshidiso

A botedu putswa ga letlhokwa re arolelane

Ka re lefatshe petsoga ke tsene

Mogalammakapa! Ka magalapa ke kue

Kuwana ka tlhomamo tlhogong ke e role/tlhobole

Gonne di wele magoletsa Batswana

Bakaulengwe ka mamekwane

Ga mamena ba menetsana

Ba metsana jaaka bodimo

Ka re lefatshe petsoga ke tsene

Mogalammakapa! Ka magalapa ke kue

Lebitla atlhama ke wele

Fatshe le robale ke didimale

Di wele magoletsa Batswana

Translation

The poem personifies secrets and the poet speaks as if he were a secret himself. He says, “Lefatshe petsoga ke tsene” meaning; earth swallow me so I can be safely tucked away. He uses various Setswana metaphors to speak to this topic.